Important Days, Flags and National Symbols

Symbols and national days are some of the most memorable topics in Part 1. Knowing what each part of a flag stands for helps with several questions.

Traditions: Welcome and Acknowledgement of Country

A Welcome to Country is given by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander custodian of the local area to welcome visitors to their traditional land, for example through song, dance, a smoking ceremony or a speech. It usually opens an event. An Acknowledgement of Country recognises that a gathering takes place on Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander land and pays respect to the Traditional Custodians. Anyone can give an Acknowledgement of Country.

Australia Day and Anzac Day

Australia Day on 26 January marks the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788. It is a public holiday in every state and territory and the biggest annual public holiday, with special citizenship ceremonies and the Australian of the Year Awards announced by the Prime Minister in Canberra. Anzac Day on 25 April remembers everyone who served and died in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping. It is named after the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, which landed at Gallipoli in Türkiye on 25 April 1915.

The three flags

The Australian National Flag is blue, white and red. The Union Jack in the top left corner stands for British settlement and inherited laws and institutions. The seven-pointed Commonwealth Star below it has one point for each of the six states and one for the territories. The Southern Cross is shown on the right. The Australian Aboriginal Flag is black (the Aboriginal peoples), red (the earth) and has a yellow circle (the sun). The Torres Strait Islander Flag is green (land), blue (sea), black lines (the people), with a white dancer's headdress and a white star whose points stand for the island groups.

Coat of Arms, flower, colours, gemstone and anthem

The Commonwealth Coat of Arms shows a shield for the six states and federation, held by a kangaroo and an emu, with a gold Commonwealth Star above and golden wattle behind. The golden wattle is the national flower, green and gold are the national colours, and the opal is the national gemstone. The national anthem is Advance Australia Fair, sung at citizenship ceremonies and major sporting events. Its first line is "Australians all let us rejoice, for we are one and free".

Summarised in our own words from Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond, Department of Home Affairs, licensed under CC BY 4.0. This is not an official publication.